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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22989715">o, what a tragedy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/antikytheras/pseuds/antikytheras'>antikytheras</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5 Times, Angst, Drabble Collection, M/M, Unrequited Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:14:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22989715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/antikytheras/pseuds/antikytheras</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The ending never changes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>o, what a tragedy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>i.</em>
</p>
<p>In the first lifetime, he is a coward.</p>
<p>The signs had been there. Teasing smiles, playful touches, glances shared just a breath-too-long— he must have been blind not to see them sooner.</p>
<p>But then they had stopped, and by the time he asks the question, the answer is already written in the sad wistfulness in Raihan’s eyes.</p>
<p>He does not need to hear the damning words, but because he loves him, he lets him drive the stake deep into his broken, bleeding heart.</p>
<p>‘I loved you once, but that was a long time ago.’</p>
<p>Leon laughs, and lets it go.</p>
<p>
  <em>ii.</em>
</p>
<p>In the second lifetime, he is a shining star.</p>
<p>His fans love him, and he commits his entire life to repaying their devotion tenfold. Raihan loves him too, but that love is like a lighthouse, always there to guide him home whenever he drifts too far out to sea.</p>
<p>He does not realise his folly until he comes home to an apartment that is too-empty and too-cold.</p>
<p>Angry, hurt, and too-foolish-proud to ever admit that he was wrong, he burns the letter left on the king-sized bed without opening it.</p>
<p>Amongst the ashes, the scraps whisper ‘You don’t love me.’</p>
<p>
  <em>iii.</em>
</p>
<p>In the third lifetime, he is too slow.</p>
<p>Eternatus rips the fabric of spacetime into pieces, and reality begins to tear itself apart.</p>
<p>Hop holds on tight to the broken boy in his arms, head hung low and tears dripping down onto his unmoving face.</p>
<p>Leon barely has time to scream his apology for his complete, utter <em>failure</em> before the very molecules of his existence collapse, and he is nothing but a signal in the screech of an impossible number of lives.</p>
<p>The only message he can broadcast is his plea for <em>Raihan</em>, but no one is there to listen.</p>
<p>
  <em>iv.</em>
</p>
<p>In the fourth timeline, he is mad with grief.</p>
<p>He rewinds the clock, again and again, desperately hoping to change the ending of his tragedy. He zips between timelines and spacetimes, changing scenes until they become perfect, until everything is ideal, until the curtain falls and everything crashes down to reality again.</p>
<p>He holds on tight and promises that there will be a next time, that he will create a next time, that he has fixed this before, he can do it again, please, please don’t go where I can’t follow—</p>
<p>But because he protects Raihan, Raihan will never remember.</p>
<p>
  <em>v.</em>
</p>
<p>Raihan is there, so close yet so far.</p>
<p>‘I love you,’ Leon says.</p>
<p>Raihan looks away. ‘I’m sorry.’</p>
<p>‘Please.’</p>
<p>‘Don’t make this harder than it has to be,’ Raihan says softly. ‘I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have.’</p>
<p>‘You mean everything to me.’</p>
<p>Raihan closes his eyes. ‘Stop.’</p>
<p>‘I can’t— I need—’</p>
<p>‘You’re strong.’ Raihan won’t meet his gaze. ‘I know it must hurt right now, but after a while, you’ll be okay. I know you will.’</p>
<p>Leon can only watch as the love of his lifetimes turns away and leaves.</p>
<p>The curtain falls.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://twitter.com/syorobao">twitter</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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